Preparing for the Alternate ELPAC Administration

This section provides an overview of the various tasks and actions LEAs should complete to prepare for administering the Alternate ELPAC. Refer to the Administer a Test Session web page on the CAASPP & ELPAC Website for additional resources, such as the Preparing for Administration documents, that are available for reference.

Student Data

CALPADS is the authoritative source for student enrollment, demographic, and program information for TOMS. The student-level data from CALPADS will be used for administration of the Alternate ELPAC. The use of CALPADS data for these assessments underscores the importance of keeping CALPADS up to date and accurate. LEA ELPAC coordinators need to work closely with the LEA CALPADS coordinator to confirm that students do not have multiple SSIDs because of having been enrolled in other LEAs. Any student listed in the MIDS report for CALPADS should not test until the information has been corrected.

The minimum data that needs to be correct in CALPADS for a student to start testing is as follows:

  • Name
  • Grade
  • School and LEA information
  • CALPADS enrollment status codes of 10 (primary) or 30 (short-term)
  • Parent/Guardian address (to be printed on SSRs)
  • ELAS (must be TBD to be assigned to the Initial Alternate ELPAC and EL to be assigned to the Summative Alternate ELPAC)
  • Primary language (must be a language other than English or ASL to be assigned to any ELPAC)
  • A “Y” in the IDEA Indicator
  • A valid Primary Disability Code
  • All other demographic fields the LEA wants to view in the final student data file that is downloadable from TOMS

CALPADS documentation, including field names and field codes, and information about CALPADS support are available on the CDE California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) web page.

Using TOMS to Prepare for the Alternate ELPAC Administration

TOMS is a secure website where authorized users from LEAs can perform tasks for the Alternate ELPAC, including (but not limited to) the following:

  • Add and delete users
  • Assign students’ test settings
  • Access DFAs and picture cards if identified in the student’s IEP
  • Manage Alternate ELPAC test administration
  • Access STAIRS to submit testing incident reports
  • Download data, including student files and test reports

Usernames and Passwords

Usernames and passwords are created in TOMS after an LEA ELPAC coordinator or site ELPAC coordinator has entered users for access. Having a username and password allows ELPAC TEs to log on to the Test Administrator Interface, which is necessary to generate a test session ID and approve students for testing.

For more information about the different user roles in TOMS, refer to the TOMS User Guide.

Student Test Assignment in TOMS

LEA ELPAC coordinators and site ELPAC coordinators must use TOMS to verify that all eligible students have been assigned to take the Alternate ELPAC. Student eligibility is based on a decision by the IEP team. Once the IEP team determines the student is eligible for the Alternate ELPAC, the IEP is entered into the SIS, and the information the SIS receives is updated in CALPADS. Student demographic data from CALPADS is uploaded into TOMS on a nightly basis. It is important for LEAs to keep CALPADS data up to date.

Information about setting up student test assignments in TOMS, including using the bulk upload option, can be found in the Upload Student Updates: Overview section of the TOMS User Guide.

Student Test Settings in TOMS

Embedded and non-embedded accommodations and designated supports that do not affect student scores are available for students taking the Alternate ELPAC. Configuring student test settings in TOMS ensures that students receive the assigned embedded accessibility resources for the computer-based assessments. These accommodations and designated supports must be assigned in the [Test Settings] tab of the Student Profile page in TOMS. For more information about available accessibility resources and helpful videos about test settings, refer to the Accessibility Resources web page on the CAASPP & ELPAC Website as well as the CAASPP and ELPAC Accessibility Guide.

Any changes to student test settings in TOMS must be completed before the student can test. The update, once made, may take up to 24 business hours to appear in the Test Administrator Interface. Failure to correct test settings before testing, which is a testing irregularity, could result in the student not being provided with the needed accommodations, designated supports, or both at the time of testing.

Information about assigning student test settings in TOMS can be found in the Student Profile—Test Settings Overview subsection of the TOMS User Guide.

For the Initial Alternate ELPAC only:

On the day of administration or during administration, if a TE determines that an Initial Alternate ELPAC student needs to have a designated support, the TE can select the appropriate test setting in the Test Administrator Interface. If the need to add a designated support arises in the middle of the administration, the TE must pause the assessment and log the student off. Then, the TE must log the student on again and assign the appropriate test setting before reentering the assessment. The embedded and non-embedded designated supports available through the Test Administrator Interface are listed next.

Alternate ELPAC designated supports include the following:

  • Embedded
    • Color contrast
    • Masking
    • Mouse pointer (size and color)
    • Permissive mode
    • Print size
    • Streamline
    • Turn off any universal tool(s)
  • Non-embedded
    • Amplification
    • Color contrast
    • Color overlay
    • Designated interface assistant (DIA)
    • Magnification
    • Medical supports
    • Noise buffers
    • Print-on-demand
    • Read aloud for items
    • Separate setting
    • Simplified test directions
    • Translated test directions

Student Engagement

Establishing and maintaining student engagement is important to the successful administration of the Alternate ELPAC.

When a student is engaged and ready for testing in a familiar environment with a familiar educator, the student is likely to exhibit the following behaviors:

  • Attending to the task with a familiar teacher and environment
  • Maintaining attention to the task when encouraged by the teacher (for example, when given praise, sensory breaks, or increased proximity to the teacher)
  • Indicating a willingness to participate
  • Gazing intentionally at a selection when provided with text, computer images, and picture cards
  • Listening intentionally when the teacher is reading text, asking questions, or describing pictures
  • Communicating intentional responses that convey attentiveness to the teacher, such as speaking, nodding, pointing, gesturing, and using assistive technology, as well as physical changes in posture, body position, respiration, voice, movement, and facial expression
  • Being able to be redirected to the task
  • Using individualized supports to self-regulate during testing, such as a schedule, tokens, cards, visual supports, social narratives, tangibles, or sensory diets

In contrast, when a student loses attention during testing or is not ready for the assessment, pause the assessment and continue at a time when the student shows signs of engagement.

A student who has lost attention or is not ready for testing may exhibit the following behaviors:

  • Increased sensory stimulation behaviors, such as flapping hands, rocking, twirling hair, rubbing eyes, biting hands, and touching or mouthing objects
  • Escape behaviors, such as pushing or moving the chair away from the table, attempting to leave the testing area, repeatedly asking to go to the bathroom or to take a break, and saying “no” or headshaking in response to the teacher
  • Attention-seeking behaviors, such as headshaking or answering “no,” changing the subject, talking loudly, humming, or screaming
  • Avoidance behaviors, such as intentionally and atypically avoiding another person’s gaze; intentionally looking away from the device, the teacher, or pictures; pushing or moving the device or test materials away; refusing to participate or engaging in an undesired behavior to avoid a task; and saying or indicating anxiety or illness
  • Tangible-seeking behaviors, such as requesting access to a specific item or activity

To increase engagement, TEs should

  • provide the student with as much time as needed;
  • allow the student to communicate as the student does every day; and
  • pause and resume the assessment as needed to allow the student to perform well, including administering over multiple days.

Following these strategies will help the student engage more with the assessment.

Technology Infrastructure

Prior to the computer-based Alternate ELPAC administration, LEA ELPAC coordinators and site ELPAC coordinators must review the technology infrastructure at their schools to ensure it meets the minimum requirements for administering the computer-based Alternate ELPAC.

The CAASPP and ELPAC Technical Specifications and Configuration Guide for Online Testing provides the technical specifications for computer-based testing. This includes information about internet and network infrastructure requirements, hardware and software requirements, and secure browser installation.

The Secure Browser

All students must use a secure browser to access the computer-based Alternate ELPAC. The secure browser is updated each year and must be downloaded and installed or updated prior to assessment, even if the device was used for testing in a prior year.

The secure browser is designed to support test security by prohibiting access to external applications or navigation away from the assessment.

School technology coordinators are responsible for ensuring that each device to be used for testing at the school is properly secured by installing the most current secure browser. Secure browsers are available for download on the Secure Browsers web page. Instructions for installing and configuring the secure browser on student devices can be found in the CAASPP and ELPAC Technical Specifications and Configuration Guide for Online Testing.

It is recommended that the secure browser be opened on a student’s testing device before the student approaches the assessment to begin testing.

Establishing Appropriate Testing Conditions

Site ELPAC coordinators and Alternate ELPAC TEs should work together to determine the most appropriate testing option(s) and testing environment based on the number of students in each tested grade level or grade span, the estimated time needed to complete each assessment, and each student’s individual needs. TEs should set up testing areas for students that minimize distractions and maximize student engagement.

For the Alternate ELPAC, the TE can test within the classroom or in a separate setting (which could be a blocked-off area within the room). The Alternate ELPAC will be read aloud to the student, is not timed, and allows for breaks when needed by the student.